Dear 2026,
I arrive gently, carrying all that 2025 taught me.
I step forward with softer expectations and braver hope.
I choose patience over rushing, truth over pleasing, rest over proving.
May this year meet me with steadier mornings and kinder nights.
May my work be honest, my heart protected, and my creativity free.
I will listen to my body, honour my boundaries, and trust my quiet voice.
I welcome growth that doesn’t hurt, success that doesn’t cost my peace,
and love that feels safe, mutual, and...

This year did not arrive with fireworks.
It came softly,
in mornings that asked me to wake anyway,
in bus rides where rain blurred the city
and my thoughts followed.
I learned that strength does not always speak.
Sometimes it listens.
Sometimes it stays.
Sometimes it chooses not to explain.
There were days I felt too much
and days I felt not enough.
I carried both.
I learned to place them side by side
without demanding they cancel each other out.
I wrote even when words trembled.
I rested even when guilt...

This morning began with pain and dizziness, and I found myself calling for medical help. I went to the hospital alone, feeling a mix of fear and relief. The tests came back alright, and I was discharged with medicine and a reminder to take things slowly. Along the way, I still managed to help someone who needed translation, even while feeling unwell.
Now I’m home, tired but grateful that I chose to seek treatment and listen to my body. Some words today stung, and some moments felt...